Multi-purpose container



May 3, 1955 A. M. GUIOR MULTI-PURPOSE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D80. 17, 1952 INVENTOR ARMA MD M 6010/? BY M L M ATTORNEY May 3, 1955 A. M. GUIOR MULTI-PURPOSE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1952 INVENTOR ARMANI) Mi 60/01? 9 6 ATTO R N EY United States Patent MULTI-PURPGSE CONTAINER Armand M. Guior, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Appiication December 17, 1952, Serial No. 326,480 8 Claims. 01. 65--60) The present invention relates to a multi-purpose container or dish construction, more particularly of a type suitable for use in serving foods of various kinds and also for displaying arrangements of flowers or the like.

According to the present invention there is provided in practical and pleasing form, an assembled unit of two dishes or containers with appropriate covers or lids which are mounted in folding relation such that the assembled unit presents a pleasing appearance when the dishes and covers are folded to closed position or are unfolded to open position either with the lids in closing relation to their respective dishes or in folded and therefore inoperative relation to the dishes or containers. A further object has been to provide a combined serving dish and decorative flower container which can be embodied in an as sembled structure of pleasing design and appearance and which is of a simple construction that can be easily assembled without expert or skilled assistance. Other and further objects will hereinafter appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show for purposes of illustration of the present invention an embodiment in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawings:

Figure-1 is a side elevation of a dish orcontainer assembly incorporating said invention and illustrating the dish members in their foldedposition;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1, the dishes and their covers in unfolded tion being indicated in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 2; l

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on the line 4 4 of Figure 1; t

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section, as in Figure 4, and showing the dishes and their covers in open or unfolded position;

Figures 6 and 7 are vertical sections, on enlarged scale, on the line 6-6 of Figure 1, Figure 6 showing the parts in the folded position and Figure 7 showing them in the open position with one of the lids raised;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 7 showing the dishes unfolded but with their covers remaining in folded position;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view partly in vertical section on the line 99 of Figure 2 and showing details in part of the dish-mounting construction and in part of the cover-mounting construction with the dishes in folded position;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view partly in vertical section on line lib-10 of Figure 8 and showing details of said dish and the cover mounting; and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary view partly in horizontal section on line 11-11 of Figure 9 and illustrating details of the dish and the cover mounting as viewed from beneath the assembled and mounted dishes and covers.

posia 2,707,379 Patented May 3, 1955 The structure shown in the drawings comprises generally a pair of dish members or containers 20 and 22 which may be of any appropriate cross-sectional contour and which are in effect hinged together at edge portions thereof and are mounted to slide vertically in a supporting frame comprising end uprights or standards 24, lower longitudinal connecting pieces 26 and an upper connecting piece 28 provided with a handle 30. The upright 24 is conveniently formed of a pair of legs 32 connected at their lower portions by a cross-member 34 having a bolt-receiving hole 36 extending through its mid-portion and by a member 38 having an abutment 40 provided with a threaded recess which is coaxial with the hole 36 in the lower brace. The dish members 20 and 22 are supplied with covers or lids 42 and 44, preferably having perforations as indicated in Figures 3 and 6. Lids 42 and 44 are provided with operating handles such as rings 46 and 48, said rings being secured to the outer or upper edge portions of said covers and in position to be accessible when the covers and their corresponding dishes are in folded relation as shown in Figure 6.

Said dishes 20 and 22 and their respective covers 42 and 44 are mounted in the frame 24 in such a way that they can easily be moved from the folded to the open positions shown, for example, in Figures 5 and 6. For this purpose, each side frame or upright 24 includes a post or rod 54), extending through the hole 35 and into the recess provided in the abutment 40. A knuried head or other suitably shaped finger piece 552 is provided at the outer end of said post 50 to permit it to be readily inserted and removed from its assembled position.

The dishes 20 and 22 are supported on posts 50 of the frame 24 by hinge blocks 54 slidably mounted thereon. Each of said blocks is provided with an inwardly extending pintle 56. As seen more clearly in Figure 9. the dish 20 is provided at its edge end portions with hinge lugs 58 and dish 22 with hinge lugs 58', overlapping said hinge lugs 58 as shown in Figure ll, when said lugs are assembled with their holes engaging the inwardly extending pintles S6 of the blocks 54 to hinge said dishes together and form a slot therebetween to receive the covers as will be described herein.

Guiding means are also provided whereby the path of movement of each dish to and from folded position is determined and said dishes are prevented from falling of their own weight from closed or folded position to open or unfolded position. For this purpose, each upright 24 has a pair of inwardly extending pins 6b which engage and cooperate with corresponding outwardly extending guide channels 62 projecting laterally from end portions of each of the dishes. These channels form in effect a slot within which said pins are received and retained in all positions of the dishes, that is, through the approximately of angular movement thereof in the operation of folding or unfolding said dishes. During said movement, the hinge block 54 travels downwardly on post 56 in the folding operation and upwardly on said post during unfolding, being stopped to hold the dishes 20 and 22 in unfolded or open position as shown in Figure 5 by engagement of its upper end portion with the bottom edge of the abutment 40 which thus acts a stop or detent for this purpose.

The covers or lids 42 and 44 are provided with hinge lugs 64 and 64, respectively, which are adapted to overlap when assembled to form a pivotal axis. The covers 42 and 44 are narrower in Width than said dishes and are journalled about the ends of a rod or pintle 65 which is carried in a sleeve 67 fixed along its central portion to a guide bar 68. This bar 63 is curved away from said sleeve at its ends and carries therein eyes '70 which are slidably journalled about the guide posts 50. This structure insures that during simultaneous movement of the covers and dishes their respective hinge axes will be in substantialalignment yet also permits the covers 42 and 44 to be folded together and dropped down into the slot formed between the edge portions of the lowered dishes as shown in Figure 8.

As may be clearly seen in Figures 6 and 8, the hingelugs 58 and 58 project downwardly and laterally from the bottom edge of the dishes 20. and 22 so that whether they are opened or closed, the bottom edge portions of the dishes are spaced apart a distance sufiicient toreceive the folded covers therebetween. This may also: be seen in Figure 1.1 which shows. the folded covers positioned within the slotwith the dishes in the folded positionand the respective hinge axes in alignment.

The. frame 34 serves as a lower stop,- for the. guide bar 68 when the covers are folded together in the position of Figures 8 m9, and, when the dishes are in the open position, the hinge blocks 54- serve as upper stops therefor.

It may be readily seen from the foregoing that the container of the present invention may be used, for instance, in the position. of Figures. 2 and 5, to. keep hot rolls warm during a meal, or to keep chocolates and other sweets fresh and clean. It is equally apparent that the container could be used in. the positionv of Figure 8- for serving nuts or similar edibles in a handy, easily accept able manner. Similarly, again in the position of Figure 5, the dish members 20 and 22 could be filled with water and flowers inserted through the perforations of the covers 42 and 44- to form a decorative. flower arrangement.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of the forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is: V

1. A combined serving dish and display container comprising a supporting frame, a pair of dish members; hinges connecting the dish members so that they may be folded towards and away from one another; a pair of dish covers, hinges connecting the covers so that they may be folded towards and away from one another; means for securing each of said hinges to the frame so that the said hinged dish members and said' hinged dish covers when closed may slide independently and jointly in a verticalv direction on said frame, and dish guiding means mounted on said frame and extending into the path of folding and unfolding movement of portions of said dishes, to raise the dish hinge when unfold-ing. the dishes and lower it when folding the dishes.

2. The combined serving dish and display container according to claim 1 and wherein said hinged covers are arranged to move between opposed side walls of said hinged-together dish members.

3. The combined serving. dish and display container according to claim 1 and wherein the hinge means of said covers moves vertically in a path between the hinges of said dish members.

4. A combined serving dish and display container comprising in combination: a supporting frame including a handle portion, two pairs of pins mounted on the side of said frame and projecting inwardly therefrom, and a pair of guide posts mounted therein; a hinge block mounted on each of said posts and carrying thereon a pivot pin, a pair of opposed concave dish members having hinge lugs extending from corresponding edge ends thereof to engage said pivot pins, a pair of guide tracks angularly disposed on each of said dishes adjacent said hinge lugs to receive said two'pairs of projecting pins, a pair of flat covers for said dishes, hinged along the edges thereof corresponding to the hinged dish edges, a guide bar for said cover plates fixed to said hinge block in the middle thereof and having at the ends thereof an eye disposed about said guide posts.

5. The container as claimed in claim 4 wherein said dish member hinge lugs extend downwardly and laterally therefrom to provide a slot between said dishes when hinged together to receive said covers whereby said dishes andv covers may be folded and opened independently or concurrently. v i

6. A display container for articles of food and: the like comprising a supporting frame portion, a pair of: opposed concave dish members disposed within said frame and. carrying thereon hinge lugs extending laterally and downwardly therefrom at the ends of one corresponding edge thereof, guide channels angularly disposed on the. sides of each of said dishes adjacent said hinge lugs, a corresponding. number of pin members projecting from said. frame into: said guide channels, a guide post mounted in said frame between said opposed dish members, a. hinge block mounted on each of said guide posts and carrying thereon a horizontal pintle, said hinge lugs being pivoted. on said pintles to form a slot between said dishmembers, whereby said receptacles maybe pivoted from afolded vertical position to. an open, substantially flat position to display such articles therein, and a. pair of perforated covers for said receptacles hinged together along an edge portion, a guide bar slidably mounted on said guide posts and fixed to said cover hinge portion whereby said covers may be folded: together independently of said dish members and verticallydisposed in. theslot between said. dish members within said frame. V

7. The container as claimed in claim 6. wherein said guide channels are disposed atan angle'of approximately 45 from the verticalwhen said dish members are in the folded position.

8. The containers, asclaimed in claim 6 whereinsaid guide posts are detachably mountedin said frame: to permit the easy assembly and. disassembly thereof. 7 7

References Cited in the file of this patent. UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain 1.886 

